Monthly Archives: February 2012

A friend sent me a link to this story – trying to keep me inspired and motivated I think, since I tend to doubt my ability – about a woman who became a writer after an already amazing life.

The story was surprising – to me – in a number of ways.

1. After the Air Force and NASA, I would think she had had her fill of excitement. Not so…
2. With such a history, is her writing a biography of an amazing life? No, not really…
3. Is her book a work of fiction about NASA or space or the Air Force? No, not really…
4. Was her inspiration from her experiences in the Air Force or NASA? No, not wholly…
5. The greatest surprise? The book is a romance!
6. The second greatest surprise? Instead of what I expected, she was inspired – to a great extent – by the Twilight series!

The lessons?

1. Anyone can be a writer – regardless of your experiences, regardless of whether you think of them exciting or not, regardless of your preconceived notions.
2. Don’t doubt yourself – or, if you do, just go for it anyway and see what happens!
3. Anything that inspires you, whether life experience or another author or the soup you had for lunch – take it and run!

I stumble upon the most amazing pieces of writing thanks to the Internet. I remember the days before all this was at our fingertips, and shudder to think of all that I’d miss. And yes, even with all the drivel on the web, there is enough good to be found to make it worth sifting through all the crap.

I mean, really, unless you were writing a thesis on slavery, would you ever find this amazing letter? (From one of my favorite blogs, Letters of Note.)

PLEASE click and read it. It’s a fantastic – and captivating – example of someone successfully using writing to (not so) subtly make a point. Or several points. And drive them home.

The moral: writing doesn’t have to end up in a novel to be successful. I think that’s a pretty damn successful piece or work, don’t you?

On this Valentine’s day, here’s a tribute to the ever controversial genre: romance.  Some like it hot, some like it cold, some like it in the….well, some think it’s not even a genre worth including in a literary discussion.

This article in USA Today gives romance a boost: Readers’ Hearts Remain True to Romance Novels.

Personally, I think romance novels are neither good nor bad; instead, they are either appropriate for the needs/wants of the reader or not. Like any other entertainment, it’s situational. More often than not I prefer books like Moonwalking with Einstein  or practically anything with “Stephen King” on the cover, but on the occasion when I need a gooey or soft or feel-good happy-ending story, I don’t mind picking up a romance.

(No, I don’t feel like it’s a waste of time afterward either. Instead I just enjoy the warm fuzzies in my chest for a bit, and then move on to the next item in the TBR pile.)